


Paradise Surrendered

by MuseofWriting



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Loss, M/M, Minor Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Reunions, the slightest background hint of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuseofWriting/pseuds/MuseofWriting
Summary: The House of Hades is a strange place for those who can remember the surface. It is a lonely place for those who remember who and what they have lost. It is a silent place, full of lost hopes.Still. Even in loneliness and silence, something like friendship can take shape.
Relationships: Achilles & Orpheus (Hades Video Game), Achilles/Patroclus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 174





	Paradise Surrendered

**Author's Note:**

> Well... this happened.
> 
> It may be a bit wonky because I was Trying A Thing stylistically but, well, look I saw [this tweet](https://twitter.com/magatsula/status/1338662819013726208?s=20) and got to thinking about early days Achilles in the House of Hades and I... do not think I need to explain why I felt compelled by the idea of writing a fic about loss and isolation in the year 2020. So. Here we are.

“Hades dear, have you seen these reports from Elysium? The entire place is in shambles. Someone’s been tearing it to pieces every single day, or night, or, well— really both, it seems, for a week.”

“It’s a new arrival. They called him the greatest of the Greeks. I suppose he finds the other champions an inadequate challenge.”

“Yes, well, the other shades are starting to complain.”

“The shades are always complaining.”

“He’s looking for someone, it seems. A shade named Patroclus.”

“Tsch. Patroclus is in Asphodel. You know it’s not uncommon for shades to spend a while obsessing over the connections they had in their mortal days. This new one will get distracted eventually once he realizes his old lover isn’t there. He got the good end of the deal.”

“...I’m not so sure about that.”

*

“Welcome to the House of Hades, mortal. Did you request a— hey, come back! Where are you going? You can’t just—“

“My Lord Hades. My Queen Persephone. I apologize for my rudeness, pushing my way into your home like this, but it’s become most urgent that I speak with you.”

“Who are you? How did you get in here?”

“I am one of the shades of Elysium, my Lord. My name is Hector of Troy.”

“And what is it you want? Out with it.”

“My Lord, the shades and champions of Elysium requested I come here on their behalf. The... Achilles has been wreaking havoc. None of us have been allowed a moment’s respite. He destroys everything in his path.”

“He’s a warrior, he’s entitled to glorious battle in death just as the rest of you are.”

“It is not glorious battle he seeks, my Lord. The only thing he seeks is Patroclus, and without him, all he cares to do is bring wrath and ruin.”

“And what would you have me do?”

“My... Lord. I’m sure there are no mistakes made in your realm, and every shade is where they ought to be. However, could you possibly make an exception, and consider bringing Patroclus to Elysium? He fell in battle, bravely and honorably. I cannot see that it would be unreasonable for him to have a place with us, and it would bring Achilles a great deal of joy and the rest of us some much needed peace.”

“You rarely sought peace while you were alive, and now you come crying to me that you don’t have it when you’re dead?”

“With all due respect, my Lord — regardless of how bloodthirsty we were in life, Achilles is not a normal warrior. He cut down a river god in his grief while still alive. Now that he no longer needs sleep or food or any of the other things that inflict weakness on men, he is nigh unstoppable. I knew him in life, I fell to his hand. I do not think he will stop. He has nothing left to lose.”

“I cannot simply move shades around as I please. Achilles has a place in Elysium. Patroclus does not. That is all.”

“Hades, dear, perhaps we should at least bring him here, hear what he wants and what he has to say?”

“If you plan to bring Achilles here, my Queen, I must respectfully request that I be permitted to take my leave. He... will not be pleased to see me, and I have no wish to start a fight in your halls.”

“You are dismissed, shade. You, there, summon the shade known as Achilles to the house.”

*

“You understand the terms of the contract?”

“I do.”

“You understand that you... will not see him, or anyone else, don’t you? You will spend eternity in this house, and not in Elysium.”

“Yes, my Queen, I understand.”

“Then, if you’re sure...”

“It’s probably for the best, anyway. Were I him, I would not want... Well. It doesn’t matter. If he has paradise, then so do I, no matter where I am.”

*

“Perhaps you should not drink so much wine, my friend? It brings only the memory of taste, after all.”

“Why _not_? It’s all libations from us mortals anyway. At least some of them are mine. And I haven’t got any better way to occupy my time.”

“You cannot get drunk. Only nectar can recall that feeling for a shade, and you have nothing to trade for such a thing.”

“Maybe I’d like to pretend I am.”

“It will not let you forget you are miserable. I have tried.”

“...What did you say your name was?”

“Orpheus.”

“...Achilles.”

“Yes, I know who you are. Every musician knows the tale of the greatest of the Greeks.”

“Don’t call me that. Don’t say a damn word of that.”

“My apologies.”

“...What are you doing here?”

“I am the court musician.”

“I’ve never heard any music here.”

“I do not play anymore. I cannot.”

“And the master of the house lets you hang around regardless?”

“I fear his patience for me dwindles by the day. Alas, it makes no difference. I have already lost in my deal, you see. He may choose to cast me down into Tartarus and eternal punishment any day. Even under such a threat, I cannot play without my muse.”

“I see.”

“...”

“...”

“...Did you want more wine, my friend?”

“No. You’re right. It’s not helping.”

“...”

“Is there a way to tell time down here? I’m already losing count of the days, or nights.”

“There is no way to know what day it is, I’m afraid. Time rather loses meaning in this domain.”

“I just need to know long it’s been since...”

“We have eternity ahead of us, one way or another. Best not to count the individual days.”

“...Indeed. And yet I find I always know when I must get back to my post.”

“I shall see you later, then.”

“Yes. Orpheus. Thank you for talking to me.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

*

“I miss sunrises. I used to hate sunrises. Usually they brought battles and responsibilities. But now the night is endless and I miss them. How is that fair?”

“The night is endless without any of its joys. It makes sense that you’d wish to see something start anew.”

“What do you miss from the world above?”

“...Crocuses. There was a flowerbed of crocuses outside the house where I lived as a child. As I remember it, I wrote my first ever song about them.”

“I spent my childhood on Mount Pelion. I used to watch the snowdrops come up as winter started to fade, with— They always seemed so stubbornly hopeful, blooming against all odds in the cold air.”

“Flowers do always seem so fragile and unlikely. Much as we mortals must seem to gods, I suppose.”

“That makes flowers a far superior version of us. All the fragility, but we bring far more ugliness to the world than beauty.”

“We can only hope our bodies are left to nourish flowers, then.”

*

“Orpheus, do you know anything about a King Theseus?”

“Indeed, my friend. The Queen has passed me several accounts of his exploits in hopes that I might set them to song.”

“I heard the master of the house talking. He’s caused about the biggest upset in Elysium since I was there, it seems. What do you know about a creature named the Minotaur?”

“It was a monster that Theseus slew while he was alive. Half man, half bull, so they say, and lived inside a labyrinth built by Daedalus himself.”

“The shade that the master had redesign the house?”

“The very same.”

“Must have been an impressive labyrinth.”

“Designed to be impossible to escape, or so I hear. ...Why do you ask?”

“Apparently— apparently, Theseus found out the creature was in Tartarus, single-handedly fought his way down, found it, fought his way back out, walked up to the gates of Elysium with it and banged on the door demanding they both be let in.”

“That is truly an accomplishment worthy of a song. What compassion, to raise your nemesis from the depths of darkness.”

“Compassion or guilt, I’m not sure which. And I’m not certain why he’d feel either towards a monster that he’d slain in life.”

“We mortals are strange beings.”

“That we are.”

“What happened to them once they arrived at the gates?”

“They, well, Theseus got what he wanted. The Minotaur resides with him in Elysium now.”

“...”

“...”

“An incredible feat. He must fear nothing, not even Hades himself.”

“Yes. Yes, he must.”

*

“Have you seen the Queen?”

“I have. It is very strange, to see life grow in this house.”

“The Queen has always had a talent for unexpected vitality.”

“Still, I wonder if it can last.”

*

“Orpheus, are you certain you cannot play music? The house is so quiet. It is making me remember what suffocation feels like, even if I haven’t breathed in centuries.”

“My friend, even if I could, I would not dare touch my lyre in this house right now.”

*

“Child, this is Achilles. He’s going to be giving you lessons.”

“...will Tan be getting lessons too?”

“He does not require the same training as you, my child. Still, perhaps he may join you, when he can.”

“I want Tan!”

“I would be honored to include Master Thanatos in my lessons if you approve, Lady Night. It would be good for the prince to have a partner more his size once he’s old enough to spar.”

“I shall see what can be arranged. Child, don’t be rude now, go say hello.”

“...hello Ack-lees.”

“Hello, lad. It’s nice to meet you.”

*

“Um, excuse me, Achilles sir? I’m so sorry but— I need to clean this table, I’ve been around the rest of the house twice and you’ve been here all day—“

“Oh. Dusa. My apologies. Has it been that long? Time has been slipping by especially strangely of late.”

“Has it? I keep so busy, I can’t even tell!”

“Quite. Sorry. I ought to get back to my post.”

“Are you missing Orpheus, sir? I know you often used to pass your time off with him. I’m sorry Lord Hades sent him away.”

“...The only surprise is that it didn’t happen sooner, to be frank. I’ve been here for centuries, and never once seen him touch an instrument.”

*

“Achilles.”

“Master Thanatos! I rarely see you here these days — what can I do for you?”

“The shades are saying that Zagreus is trying to escape the Underworld. Is that true?”

“...”

“Tell me.”

“He... is, yes. He wants to see the surface.”

“And how does he plan to do that?”

“He has some help, from the Olympians, and... from me.”

“You gave him weapons?”

“Indeed.”

“...”

“Are you going to try and stop him?”

“You’ve known us our entire lives, Achilles. What do you think I’m going to do?”

*

“My friend, are you alright? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost. In the unusual way that one sees ghosts, that is.”

“I... have. Or rather, heard of one. I... Zagreus made it into Elysium on his last escape.”

“...”

“...”

“The fates work in strange ways. On his way through Asphodel, it seems he has several times come across my Eurydice.”

“I... all these centuries, and I’ve never told you his name, have I?”

“No, my friend, you have not. You need not say it now, if you do not wish to. All mortals know that no god holds as much power over our souls as Aphrodite. You and I would not be here, else.”

“I missed your company, when Hades cast you out in Tartarus.”

“And I, yours.”

“...Patroclus. His name is Patroclus.”

“A name for a song, indeed.”

“He always deserved it more than me.”

*

“...”

“...”

“Achilles.”

“... Pat.”

“...”

“...”

“You’re really here?”

“I am, I really— I’m here. I am so s—“

“No apologies. We’re a long way past apologies. Oh for gods’ sake don’t look at me like that, I’m saying come _here_.”

“...Pat, I—" 

“Achilles?”

“Yes?”

“If you don’t kiss me in the next five seconds, I’m going to push you into the Lethe.”

*

“Did you ever think about just forgetting me? It would have been easier. You could have stayed in paradise, surrounded by...”

“By all the people I despised in life?”

“Fair point.”

“You are my heart, Pat. To forget you would be to forget myself — more than myself. I was always too much of a coward for that.”

“No. That’s not cowardice. Never cowardice. You should know better than that.”

“You always understood the world better than I did.”

“Do you understand I love you?”

“I can barely understand my own love for you. It’s too big, too overwhelming. I can only understand it in pieces, like the way I love this curl of your hair, or the shape of your smile, or the look in your eyes you get — yes, that one — when you tell me I’m being an idiot.”

“You are.”

“I know. I do know you love me, as much as anyone can know that about someone else, I think.”

“Then next time, since you love me back, don’t leave me behind.”

“I have learned my lesson there, I think. Never again, Pat, I promise you.”

“Good. Then we have eternity ahead of us.”

“This place is changing, bit by bit, for the better, I think. The prince and the Queen both bring a new kind of compassion to it.”

“You are so sentimental.”

“My point is, I think I’m actually looking forward to eternity now.”

“Oh you soft, optimistic idiot, so am I.”

**Author's Note:**

> You're not allowed to judge me for how many ellipses there are in this fic until YOU write characters hesitating and pausing and communicate that through nothing except their dialogue and show me how YOU did it.
> 
> Please leave a kudos and a comment if you enjoyed <3
> 
> Come find me:  
> tumblr: [@thatgirlonstage](https://thatgirlonstage.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [@MuseofWriting](https://twitter.com/MuseofWriting)  
> my thread where I yell about playing Hades: [here](https://twitter.com/MuseofWriting/status/1323083846548672512?s=20)


End file.
